NOTE: Our original description of this identified it as an 1899 cabinet despite PSA's classifying it as 1897.  Subsequent research has resulted in our agreeing with PSA that this is an 1897 cabinet, based on the placement of the "B" on Nichols' shirt.  Boston Beaneaters photos of the 1897 team have the "B" in the center of the shirts; photos of the 1899 team have the "B" on the left breast.  Though there is no copyright date in the photo, Nichols is wearing the same jersey and the photo appears to be derived from the same photo session as the club's 1897 team photo.  This cabinet, thus, predates Nichols' National Copper Plate supplement.

Historically important cabinet photo of Hall of Famer Charles Augustus "Kid" Nichols as shot at the legendary Boston studio of Elmer Chickering.  The Chickering studio is well-known for its baseball portraits, and is the source of almost all the images of Boston players from the late 19th Century.  This image is a familiar one, best known as the portrait that graces Nichols' National Copper Plate/Sporting News Supplements, a beautiful original photograph with outstanding detail of the young pitcher.  

Though the photograph is sharp and detailed, it does exhibit some soiling, along with minor areas of foxing on the image itself.  The mount displays some wear at the corners and edges, along with some surface wear, some of which is evident in the Chickering logo at the bottom border.  Surface wear is also evident on the photo itself, though not distracting from its beauty.  The reverse is heavily notated, with some notes and a former owner address typewritten onto labels affixed to the back, secured in place with clear tape.  The notations are interesting, and suggest a history of newspaper or periodical use.  We surmise that the tape and labels are the reason for the AUTHENTIC grade assigned by PSA, as the cabinet measures properly and shows no signs of tampering that we can identify.  Some minor creasing can be observed on the mount at the reverse.

A tremendous early cabinet photo of an important 19th Century Hall of Famer, taken by an important photo studio, an original photo picturing what is perhaps the most widely-recognized image of Kid Nichols.